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Mazda – a brand known for producing cars that are generally acknowledged as being good to drive – has been slow to embrace electrification, so does the Mazda6e tick the ‘good to drive EV’ box?
It’s a fact, not an opinion, that Mazda has been slow to embrace electrification. While most manufacturers are well on course to having a full range of electric cars, Mazda only has the CX-30 – which, with a very short driving range, is an extremely niche product. Now the Mazda6e is on the way – although it won’t be in the UK until mid-2026 – will this be a more mainstream proposition?
The Mazda6e looks like a Mazda – which is a good thing. But that stylish body hides a secret: underneath it’s not a Mazda, but a Changan. Yes, the Japanese Mazda is based on the Chinese Changan EPA1 platform, which is the same rear-wheel drive architecture used by the Changan Deepal S07.
The Changan Deepal S07 is available with just one battery size in the UK, an 80 kWh NMC ternary lithium unit with a maximum rapid charging rate of 95 kW. The Mazda6e is also available with an 80 kWh battery, but the maximum charging rate, which is very slow on the Deepal S07, is even slower on the Mazda, at 90 kW. The Mazda is also available with a smaller 68.8 kWh battery, which, bizarrely, has a much faster DC charging rate of 165 kW.
The Mazda6e is long – 4,921mm – with a hatchback and a useful 466-litre boot capacity, or up to 1,074 litres with the rear seats folded. There’s also a 72-litre front trunk or ‘frunk’.
Our test car had an interior with interesting colours and textures – Tan Nappa and Suede cloth woven fabric.
The Mazda 6e has a towing weight of 1,500 kg.
Mazda makes the MX-5, which is a sports car with direct responses, and this approach feeds its way into other Mazda models – including the petrol-powered Mazda6. So you would expect a similar experience with the electric Mazda6e, however the Mazda6e sits on a Chinese EV platform.
The Mazda6e has an encouraging base, with rear-wheel drive, but the overall driving dynamics are more comfort-focused than sporty; this is no driver’s car. Which is fine, but this doesn’t match the feel of other Mazda models.
And as well as the comfortable ride quality – which translates to a lack of sharp handling – with a 0-62 mph time of 7.8 seconds for the 245 PS long range model, acceleration is somewhat on the leisurely side compared to many other EVs, and the relatively heavy kerb weight (2,037 kg) has an impact on the dynamics.
The model with the smaller 68.8 kWh battery has an electric motor producing slightly more power (258 PS), with a slightly quicker 0-62 mph time of 7.6 seconds. It’s unusual to have two different powertrains with one smaller battery option being mated to an electric motor with marginally more power.
Gears are selected via a stalk on the right-hand side of the steering column (and we experienced a few occasions when the car didn’t change into the desired gear). There are two main drive modes – Normal and Sport – but surprisingly, no Eco option, which is a basic feature on most EVs – along with an Individual mode.
The Mazda6e’s dashboard has no buttons. All car controls have to be adjusted through the 14.6-inch central touchscreen. Swiping the screen is needed to find driving controls including shortcuts for the wipers and lights – and adjustment of the door mirrors is only possible via the touchscreen, which isn’t user friendly for drivers.
There’s also a 10.2-inch driver’s display, a head up display, and a touchscreen for rear passengers, allowing the adjustment of climate settings and the electric sunshade on the Takumi Plus grade.
The Mazda6e is available with two batteries, a 68.8 kWh unit providing up to 297 miles of range, and a larger 80 kWh unit offering a range of 342 miles.
The smaller 68.8 kWh battery has a maximum DC charging rate of 165 kW, but the larger 80 kWh battery only has a maximum DC charging rate of 90 kW, which is far too slow for this class of car, and very unusual in being much slower than the model with the smaller battery. It means that a 10% to 80% charge for the 68.8 kWh battery takes 24 minutes, but the time for the same 10% to 80% charge increases to a whopping 47 minutes for the larger 80 kWh battery.
And here’s another strange thing. The Mazda6e shares the same powertrain as the Changan Deepal S07, which has a poor efficiency rating of 3.3 miles/kWh, but in the Mazda, this powertrain achieves a much higher efficiency of 4.57 miles/kWh. The Changan is an SUV and the Mazda is a more aerodynamic fastback, but that shouldn’t account for such a large difference in efficiency between the two cars.
The Mazda can also charge using 11 kW three-phase AC charging.
We had an early drive of a Swiss-registered car; the Mazda6e isn’t due to be in the UK until mid-2026, and prices haven’t yet been announced, but it’s expected to be in the £40,000 to £45,000 price bracket.
The Mazda6e looks like a Mazda but it’s based on the same platform that sits under the Chinese Changan Deepal S07. This means that the Mazda6e has potentially rewarding rear-wheel drive handling, but the driving experience is more comfort-focused than sharp. Performance is sufficient but not sparkling. And then there’s the strange case of batteries and charging. The smaller 68.8 kWh battery has a maximum DC charging rate of 165 kW, but the larger 80 kWh battery only has a maximum DC charging rate of 90 kW. And the Changan Deepal S07 has a poor efficiency rating of 3.3 miles/kWh but Mazda quotes a much higher efficiency figure of 4.57 miles/kWh for the 6e. Mazda has been slow in moving to EVs over many years and now it’s way behind other manufacturers, and in an effort to try and catch up, rather than making an effort to develop its own ultimate EV, it’s using a Chinese platform, resulting in the Mazda DNA being watered down. There are lots of excellent EVs out there so it’s difficult to recommend the Mazda6e; it’s awarded a Green Car Guide rating of 6 out of 10.
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